Texas senator Ted Cruz took a major swing at the Republican frontrunner during the presidential debates broadcast by Fox News tonight (Mar. 3). He accused billionaire real estate developer Donald Trump of supporting “left-wing, Democratic” politicians for years, and pinpointed a number of checks written by Trump to support current Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton in her campaign for president in 2008.
“I would like to ask Donald, why?” Cruz asked.
Surprisingly, Trump was forthright. “In 2008, I supported Hillary Clinton,” he admitted. “It was for business.”
The jump from Democrat in 2008 to Republican today isn’t the first time Trump seemed to swap party affiliations. Although he claims to have previously supported both the presidential candidacies of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, he’s also donated to liberal politicians like Nevada senator Harry Reid, former Pennsylvania governor Edward G. Rendell, and current Chicago mayor (and former Obama aide) Rahm Emanuel. In fact, he’s donated more to Democratic politicians ($476,000) than to Republicans ($452,000) over the past 15 years, the National Review reported.
His voting registration record over the past three decades (based on news reports and public statements) reflects some seemingly erratic politics:
But despite donating money to candidates and being an outspoken critic during recent presidential races, he did not vote in the past six presidential primary elections, the National Review found.